Citius, Altius, Fortius

In honor of the start of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in London this Friday, Naptime Huddle will be introducing you this week to some of the NFL players who have represented the United States in the Olympics.  It just so happens that the players we'll look at today exemplified the first part of the Olympic motto, Citius--which means "Faster."

Jim Thorpe (May 28, 1888 - March 28, 1953)

 

Jim Thorpe has been the focus of several NH posts, so I won’t go into much more detail about his football career today.  To learn more about Thorpe and his many contributions to football (and other sports), click here, here, and here.  What’s important for our purposes is that one of Thorpe's most significant achievements was his participation (and domination) in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.  He competed in four track and field events: long jump, high jump, pentathlon and decathlon.  At the 1912 Games, the pentathlon consisted of the long jump, javelin throw, discus throw, 200-meter dash and 1500-meter run.  The decathlon's events were pole vault, shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, 120-yard hurdles and races of 100 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards, 880 yards and one mile.

Thorpe didn’t medal in the long jump or high jump.  We’ll forgive him, though, since he crushed the competition in the pentathlon and decathlon, winning gold in both events.  Of the combined fifteen individual events, he won eight; his 8,413 points in the decathlon set an Olympic record.  He also won two “challenge prizes” that were donated by King Gustav V of Sweden (decathlon) and Czar Nicholas II of Russia (pentathlon).*  Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Thorpe’s victories at the Stockholm Games was that he achieved them wearing shoes that weren’t his!  Someone had stolen his shoes as the events were about to begin, so he had to rummage through a trash bin to find replacements (see picture); one was too big and he had to wear extra socks to make them fit.

Sadly, Thorpe’s medals were stripped in 1913 when a newspaper reported that he had played professional baseball—for a mere pittance—in 1909 and 1910.  The Amateur Athletic Union asked the International Olympic Commission to revoke Thorpe’s amateur status.  Though they violated their own procedures (protests such as these had to be made within thirty days of closing ceremonies), the IOC rescinded Thorpe’s amateur status and took back his medals.

Ollie Matson (May 1, 1930 - February 19, 2011)

An accomplished runner, Ollie Matson represented the U.S. in the 400-meter race and 4x400-meter relay team in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.  Ollie won the bronze medal in the 400 meters and his relay team won silver. 

Ollie was a drafted third overall in the 1952 NFL Draft by the then-Chicago Cardinals.  In his senior year at the University of San Francisco, Matson led the nation in rushing yards and touchdowns and was selected as an All-American.  He enjoyed a long and successful career playing for the Cardinals (1952-1958), the Los Angeles Rams (1959-1962), the Detroit Lions (1963) and the Philadelphia Eagles (1964-1966).  Over his 14-year career, he earned six Pro Bowl selections (winning MVP honors in the 1956 Pro Bowl), seven All-Pro selections and was named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team.  When Matson retired, his 12,799 career all-purpose yards were second only to rushing legend Jim Brown.  Ollie Matson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

Ollie Matson died in his Los Angeles home where he and wife Mary had lived since his time with the Rams; it’s been determined that Matson suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), as a result of the blows to the head he endured during his career.

Bob Hayes (December 20, 1942 - September 18, 2002)

“Bullet” Bob Hayes has the distinction of being only the second Olympic gold medalist (along with Jim Thorpe) to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; he was inducted into the Hall in 2009.  He is also the only man to win both Olympic gold and a Super Bowl ring (take that Tom and Eli!).  A two-sport athlete at Florida A&M University, where he set several track records, Hayes was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 1964 draft.  This was a gamble by the Cowboys because Hayes was an unproven football player; he had been a backup halfback in high school and had focused on track in college.

Before he could prove his worth on the football field, however, Hayes represented his country in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.  Bullet Bob gave a memorable performance at the Games, earning himself the title “World’s Fastest Human.”  He won gold in the 100-meter dash and, in a Thorpean twist, Hayes ran that race in borrowed spikes--he didn’t realize until he got to the event that he had misplaced one of his shoes.  Even more amazing, though, was his leg in the gold-winning running of the 4x100-meter relay, for which the U.S. team set a World Record at 39.06 seconds.  The victory is all the more sweet because it was his final track race, as he made the switch to football after those Games.

Lucky for us, the race is on YouTube—Hayes had the anchor leg:

So, how did the Dallas experiment work?  Brilliantly.  His success on the track enabled him to transition flawlessly to the role of wide receiver.  He led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in each of his first two seasons; he is credited for spurring the development of zone defenses since no one man could cover him.  In addition to being a receiving threat, he also punished opponents on punt returns.  In addition to being a part of the Cowboys’ Super Bowl win in 1972, Bob Hayes was named to three Pro Bowls and set numerous team records in his ten-year career with the Cowboys, ten of which still stand today. 

Willie Gault (born September 5, 1960)

 

Willie Gault attended the University of Tennessee and was drafted in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.  While at Tennessee, he was a member of the world record-setting 4x100 meter relay team; he also ran the 110 meter hurdles.  He would have been part of Team USA in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Russia.  Unfortunately, Gault's Olympic dream became a victim of Cold War politics—the United States boycotted the Moscow Games and Willie would focus on football after being drafted by the Bears.  However, he did compete, and medal, in the Liberty Bell Classic—an alternative to the Olympics held in Philadelphia by the countries boycotting the 1980 Games.  Gault’s relay team earned a gold medal, and he won the bronze in the 100 meter race.

That wouldn't be Willie Gault's only championship hardware.  He won a Super Bowl ring when the Bears won Super Bowl XX.  Over his 11-year NFL career (with the Bears from 1983 to 1987 and the Los Angeles Raiders from 1988 to 1993), he amassed 333 receptions for 6,635 yards and 44 touchdowns.  Today, Willie Gault is very active in Masters Athletics, which is an avenue for track and field veterans to continue to compete in various age classes. 



Don't miss our next post for a look at more "Faster, Higher, Stronger" NFL players!

The ABC's of the Referee Lockout

When the NFL regular season starts the first week in September, there may be a large number of key participants missing from fields all across the league—over 100, in fact.  And they will be sorely missed.  Am I talking about big-name players who might still be holding out because they haven’t gotten the new contracts they want?  Players who have been suspended for their off-the-field conduct in the offseason?  Nope. 

It may be hard to believe, but less than a year after resolving its differences with the players, the NFL is facing yet another labor crisis with the 121 members of the National Football League Referees Association (NFLRA), the men in stripes who officiate the games each week.  As is the case with the players (via the NFL Players Association), the NFL’s officials work for the NFL under the terms of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and their most recent CBA expired after the 2011 season.  

Although the two sides had started negotiating the terms of a new CBA in October 2011, no progress was made, leading to mediation.  After just two mediation sessions, however, talks broke off and the NFL issued a “lockout” of the NFLRA on June 3rd—meaning that the officials would not be allowed to conduct any official NFL-related activities.  Showing that they were serious, the NFL further announced that it would start looking for replacement officials (“scabs” in labor parlance) to take the field in the regular season in place of the NFLRA’s members.

How did it come to this?  As you might expect, the point of contention is compensation.  The new CBA proposed by the NFL includes salary increases that are lower than those provided in the previous CBA.  The NFL’s proposal is a seven-year deal with annual pay increases of 5-11 percent.  Under the league’s proposal a fifth-year official, who made $115,000 in 2011, would make over $183,000 in 2018.  Not all officials make six figures, though—first-year officials made an average of $78,000 in 2011.  According to the NFLRA, the increase that the officials have proposed would only cost each of the 32 teams $100,000 per year.  Another issue in the negotiations is the league’s pension plan for officials, which has been in place since 1974. 

Twenty-one year veteran Scott Green is the NFLRA's president (and a D.C. lobbyist)

Either way, the officials certainly aren’t starving, especially when you consider that this is a part time gig for most of them (some, like Ed Hochuli (right), are attorneys).  Their salaries are generally on par with the salaries of officials in other sports, but are lower than some.  NBA officials average between $100,000 and $300,000 annually; Major League Baseball umpires earn about $120,000 a year and NHL referees earn between $110,000 and $255,000. 

Sure, officials in other sports work more games.  The flip side of that, though, is this:  with only 16 games in a football season (and one-game playoff rounds), each call on each play is more critical. Each of the other major sports has its unique challenges for its officials:  the split-second, hair’s breadth calls in baseball; the speed of hockey; and the wide-open, yet close-quarters, playing style of basketball.  However, in football, all of these challenges converge—on each play.

So, why should we care?  There is a real concern that, if the CBA issues aren’t negotiated and the NFL sends replacement officials on the field, the game will experience a big hit in quality and safety.  Even if you’ve been officiating for twenty years, staying at game-ready form takes a lot of preparation and practice (in fact, despite the lockout, NFLRA members have continued to train, study and test on their own time so they will be ready in the event the lockout ends).  Keep in mind that this is a part-time gig for the officials; the training, rules reviews and physical training (yes, it is a physically demanding job) has to be worked into their everyday lives. 

That’s also going to be true of the replacement officials, who also have to learn the nuances of pro rules and mechanics.  Sure, they can hit the books and take tests for that.  A less tangible aspect of the game that they can’t prepare for, however, is the speed of the pro game, which is going to be different from what they are used to—whether that’s college, high school or semi-pro football.

You might remember from my introductory post that I officiated youth football for one season, before my son came along.  Before the season even began, we had three months of training, which involved meeting two to three times a week to learn rules, practice on-field mechanics and take tests.  Again, this was for youth and high school, and we didn't get paid all that much (as a first-year official I think I got $30 a game for youth).  During the season I worked mostly youth games but I also ran the clock for freshman, junior varsity and varsity high school games. 

For one freshman game, the umpire was running late so I took his place.  Since I was used to games where the players were no taller than my armpits, it was a bit of a shock to the system to be on the field with kids that were bigger than me.  For the first half, I really focused on getting my mechanics* right so my inexperience didn't interfere with the flow of the game.  Luckily, umpire was the position I worked the most.  I guess I did OK because they kept me in when the real umpire showed up at halftime.  Still, there had probably been fouls that went unnoticed by me.

I know what you’re thinking—since the league will probably take the replacements from big colleges and universities that spit out pro talent anyway, won’t they be used to the higher level of talent, speed, etc.?  Nope—officials from the top college divisions are actually barred by the colleges from pursuing NFL jobs.  So, the NFL will have to get officials from lower levels in the sport, or ones who officiated at the top schools but who haven’t been active for several years.

It is unavoidable that the on-field action will suffer if a deal can't be reached and replacement officials are called into action.  Mistakes will be made and calls will be missed.  The rhythm and timing of offenses that have come to rely on the seamless procedures of the officiating crews may also be impacted.  It takes years for the NFL officials to earn the respect and credibility of players and coaches (which they do have, despite impressions to the contrary).  New guys will have to start from ground zero to earn that respect. 

Fielding replacement officials will also affect safety.  With the concussion crisis, part of the NFLRA’s offseason preparations has been learning more about concussions, including diagnosing them in players who may be trying to cover symptoms to stay in the game.  Click here to read a SportsNation.com article about a seminar put on by the NFLRA’s medical director, Dr. Thom Mayer.  Note his statement on whether he’ll be repeating it for replacement officials:  “I’m not going to talk to a bunch of scabs.” 

As for the players—some have said that the officials will be missed, while others, like Denver Broncos linebacker Joe Mays (right), don't think it matters who will be throwing the yellow flags.  For its part, the NFL Players Association, who went twelve rounds with the NFL last year, issued the following statement:

The NFL Players Association is concerned about the NFL’s decision to lock out professional referees and recruit scabs to serve as referees in NFL games for the 2012 season.

In 2011, the NFL tasked officials with increased responsibilities in protecting player health and safety, and its search for scabs undermines that important function.

Professional athletes require professional referees, and we believe in the NFL Referees Association’s trained first responders. The NFLPA will continue to monitor the league’s actions in this situation.

So, it appears that, for now, union is supporting union (note the use of "scabs"...twice).  However, even if all of the individual players decide that their brothers in stripes are being mistreated, don’t expect to see any of them joining picket lines on September 5th.   

*For a reminder on the umpire's responsibilities, click here.

. . . They Paid Me!

Now that the July 16 deadline for teams to reach deals with their franchised players has passed, I wanted to give you a quick update on those players hit with franchise tags who did and did not ink new deals with their teams.  Click here If you missed last week's "They Pay Me, They Pay Me Not" post.

Before we get to that, however, there’s big news on the rookie front (well, big here in the DC area, anyway).  Teams usually have their rookies report to training camp several days earlier than the veterans and the Washington Redskins are no exception; their rookie camp started on Monday.  First round draft pick (and second overall pick) Robert Griffin III (a.k.a. “RG3”) (below) has not yet shown up for camp as he hasn’t signed his contract yet.  He’s not considered a “holdout” because he team training camps don’t officially start until July 26.  However, his absence is significant considering that the team will be putting him into use immediately and he needs all the time he can get to acclimate himself to the pro game.

The amount and duration of Griffin’s contract are set (4 years for $21 million), but the two sides apparently are fighting over language in the contract that governs what would happen to his guaranteed money if he is waived before the contract expires.  Before you think that RG3 (or his agent) is being greedy, though, you should know that Griffin isn’t the only one who isn’t rushing to grab a pen.  According to CBS Sports, 14 of the 32 first round picks, including Indianapolis Colts #1 overall pick Andrew Luck, have yet to sign their contracts.

But back to the veterans…

THE HAVE’S:

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints:  CHA CHING!  Late last week, Brees and the Saints agreed to a contract of 5 years and $100 million ($60 million guaranteed with $37 million signing bonus).  This is the richest NFL contract ever.

Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears:  Matt Forte was rewarded for his patience this offseason with a four-year, worth roughly $30 million over its term.

Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore Ravens:  Did the Bears and Ravens talk?  Rice’s contract is also worth about $8 million per year, but he got one more year on his contract than Forte.

Josh Scobee, K, Jacksonville Jaguars:  The 8-year veteran came to terms with the Jags, signing a 4-year, $13.8 million deal on Monday.

THE HAVE-NOT’S:

Wes Welker, WR, New England Patriots:  My apologies to Wes—I neglected to include him in the list of significant franchisees who hadn’t come to terms with their team.  Welker actually signed his franchise tender fairly soon after he was tagged.  It was a gesture of good faith, a sign of his faith that the Patriots would be eager to make a multi-year deal and the two sides would work things out in a way that would make everyone happy.  I think it was this high-road approach that made me take his situation for granted.  Apparently the same was true for the Patriots.  The deadline passed without the two sides shaking hands on a long-term contract; unless something drastic happens, you should expect to see Wes Welker on the free agent market in 2012.  In the meantime, Welker should earn about $9.5 million this year, the expected value for all wide receiver franchisee contracts in 2012.

Cliff Avril, DE, Detroit Lions:  The Lions were busy this season negotiating several long-term deals, including one with superstar receiver Calvin Johnson (a 7-year deal worth $132 million, by the way).  It’s unfortunate that Avril didn’t get a piece of the pie, but it might not be a huge surprise.  Avril has said that he not sure if he’ll report to training camp on July 26th (he can sit out until just before regular season starts and still get his $10.6 million franchise tender), but he has mentioned being able to be there for his son’s first birthday, which is the first week in August.

"Did you remind them that I had
over 1,100 yards receiving last year?"

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City Chiefs:  This one may seem bewildering to fans, since Bowe is (so far) the most productive receiver for the Chiefs by a good margin.  However, like Avril, Bowe may be the victim of a situation where his team has a lot of issues to address.  The good news for KC fans, however, is that Bowe has said that he’ll be at training camp.  As for his payday, he’ll get the same 2012 salary as Wes Welker, $9.5 million.

Reading Huddle: I Am Third

Those of you who are loyal Naptime Huddle readers may have noticed that I have not yet ran posts profiling the“Stars and Legends” at the running back position.  Well, fear not--you can expect to see those posts during the 2012 season (which starts in 51 days on September 5th). 

I haven’t decided who will be included among the running back Legends yet, but Chicago Bears icon and Hall of Famer Gale Sayers will certainly be high on the list of candidates.  Like many players of his generation (and generations before), Gale had several roles on the Bears.  He was first and foremost their running back, but he also ran back kickoffs and punts (while occasionally throwing passes)—and he made an immediate impact as a rookie in each of these facets of the game.  During his 1965 rookie season, Sayers scored a total of 22 touchdowns:  14 rushing, six receiving and two on kick returns), setting a number of league and team records along the way.  These include a tie in the record for most touchdowns in a single game, as Gale collected six in the Bears’ 61-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.  He earned Rookie of the Year honors by unanimous vote.

Sayers continued to post impressive stats in the ensuing seasons, despite the fact that he became the focus of opposing defenses after his record-shattering rookie year.  Through the first nine games of the 1968 season, Gale was leading the league in rushing when, in a game against the 49ers, he tore several ligaments in his right knee when he was (cleanly) tackled by defensive back Kermit Alexander. 

Alexander (39) tried to help Sayers' teammates carry him off the field after the tackle

Was he able to come back after such a devastating injury?  How would he fare if he did come back?  You’ll learn the answers to these and many other questions about Gale Sayers when you read our next “Reading Huddle” selection, I Am Third.  In his autobiography, Sayers takes you through the very difficult period when he was recovering from his injury; he then paints a vivid picture of his upbringing and the athletic successes that gave him the opportunity to make history for the Bears.  And you'll learn the meaning of the book's title.  Raised in the area of Omaha, Nebraska he affectionately calls “the Toe”, Sayers gives you the full flavor of what it was like to grow up as a poor, but gifted black athlete living in a troubled home environment in a racially turbulent time.

You might also remember hearing about Gale Sayers in “Take 2” of my series “Screen Plays: Classic Football Movies.”  I Am Third was the book that inspired the 1971 TV film classic Brian’s Song.  The only movie that men will freely admit to crying over, Brian’s Song chronicles the tragic death of Brian Piccolo (above), the Bears tailback who passed away from an aggressive cancer during the 1969 season.  Sayers and Piccolo (or “Pick” as Gale called him) became close friends when they were assigned as roommates during Bears training camp.  Defying the racial boundaries of the time, they built an unwavering friendship that helped them both deal with Brian’s terrifying disease.

I hope you enjoy I Am Third.   Since this is a relatively short book and quick read, there will be a slightly shorter period before I post discussion questions.  Look for those questions during the week of August 6th.  (Check the left sidebar for a link to buy the book on Amazon.com.)

In addition to your longer reading assignment, take a few minutes to read Sayers’ Hall of Fame enshrinement speech and the speech given by former Bears coach (and owner) George Halas as he introduced Sayers at the enshrinement ceremony:  http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PlayerId=188&tab=Speech.

Kickin' It Old School: Stars on the Pitch and the Gridiron

So today my son, who’s two years old, is finishing his first week-long soccer class.  OK, so he spent more time chasing bees and picking dandelions than he did kicking the ball, but it’s the experience that counts.

To commemorate this remarkable achievement (by me, who spent the week of chasing him down for an hour a day), I thought we’d take a look at the few athletes who made names for themselves in both the NFL and professional soccer.  Plenty of NFL current and former players played soccer at some part in their youth. 

Take Morten Andersen, for example.  Born in Denmark, Morten Andersen grew up playing soccer and narrowly missed making the Danish junior national soccer team.  He came to America during high school as an exchange student, and, on a whim, tried out for the school’s football team as a kicker.  He only played one season, but his performance was so incredible that he received a scholarship to attend Michigan State University.  He set numerous records while at Michigan State and continued his record setting ways in the NFL, including the record for most points scored in a career (with 2,544).  Andersen played for six teams over his 25-year career, finally retiring in 2008 at the age of 48.

And, as NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco will tell you, soccer is a great way for players to stay in shape.  In the spring of 2011, during the player lockout, Chad tried out for the MLS team in Kansas City, Sporting KC.  Though it was obvious that he lacked the skills needed to play, the team gave him an honorary spot on its reserve team; he wasn’t given a contract or money.  It worked out for all parties involved:  Chad had a professional-level workout regimen, and the Kansas City team, and Major League Soccer generally, got some free publicity.  Click the following link for more on the Ochocinco soccer odyssey:  http://www.nfl.com/videos/cincinnati-bengals/09000d5d81eea388/Kickin-it-with-Ochocinco?module=HP_video

Below, though, are those who took their devotion to The Beautiful Game much further, actually turning pro in both soccer and “American football” (as the rest of the world calls it, since they call soccer “football”).  As you might expect, each of these players were kickers in the NFL.

THE BAHR BROTHERS

Brothers Chris and Matt Bahr have soccer (and the State of Pennsylvania) in their blood:  their father is Walter Bahr (right), who is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.  Their brother Casey played professional soccer, and was a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic soccer team (their sister, Davies, didn’t play soccer but was an All-American gymnast at Penn State). 

Chris attended Penn State and was the first round draft pick of the 1975 North American Soccer League Draft.  He played for the Philadelphia Atoms for one impressive season before leaving the pitch for the NFL.  He also made the 1976 U.S. National Team and scored the team’s only two goals in their win over Bermuda in the Olympic qualifiers.  Chris joined the Cincinnati Bengals, for whom he played from 1976 until 1980, when he was signed by the Oakland/L.A. Raiders.  His tenure with the Raiders was when he hit his stride, becoming second on the Raiders’ all-time scoring list (with 817) and setting a career field goal record (162) that stood until 2007; he also earned two Super Bowl rings with the Raiders.  He finished out his career with the San Diego Chargers in 1989.

Brother Matt also went to Penn State and, like his brother, entered the world of professional soccer after graduation.  He played for teams in the North America Soccer League and American Soccer League in 1978 and 1979, until he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 1979 NFL Draft.  Between 1979 and 1995, Matt kicked for six different teams.  Don’t let his nomadic career fool you into thinking he wasn’t a success, though.  He won a Super Bowl ring in his rookie year (he kicked one field goal and three extra points) and single-handedly won the 1990 NFC Championship Game for the New York Giants, kicking five field goals to beat the San Francisco 49ers 15-13.  One week later, he kicked the winning field goal for the Giants in Super Bowl XXV (he scored two field goals and two extra points).* 

CLIVE ALLEN

How most of the world knows Clive

Clive Allen has the distinction of playing for more London-based clubs than any other soccer player in history.  He started his career in 1978 with the Queens Park Rangers at the age of 17.  He had a stellar two years with QPR, prompting soccer club Arsenal to offer his team £1.25 million for his services.  Strangely, Allen spent only two months with Arsenal and never played a single match.  He likely never bought a house during his whole career, ultimately changing jobs ten times over his seventeen-year career.  Long after his playing career was over, Allen became manager of Tottenham Hotspur’s reserve team.  So, how does Clive Allen make this list?  Glad you asked.  In 1997, he was a kicker for the London Monarchs, a team in NFL Europe.

ALDO DONELLI

Aldo T. “Buff” Donelli only played soccer professionally.  He was an excellent college football player, but he earns a spot on this list for his brief career as an NFL coach.  Donelli attended college at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, where he played halfback and punter.  Although he had respectable success in football, he excelled at soccer and enjoyed a thirteen-year career playing for five different clubs between 1925 and 1938.  His crowning achievement on the pitch, however, was his selection to the U.S. team for the 1934 World Cup.  The United States beat Mexico 4-2 in their qualifier; Donelli scored all four U.S. goals, making him the first American to score his first three international goals in the same match (the next person to do that was Sacha Kljestan in 2009). Aldo scored the only U.S. goal in the World Cup tournament, in their 7-1 loss to Italy in the first round; no other American would score on Italian soil for 58 years.  Donelli’s achievements in soccer led to his induction into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1954.

After his soccer career ended, Aldo returned to football as a coach—first for his alma mater, Duquesne (pronounced “dew KAYN”).  Over his four seasons as head coach, the Dukes had a 29-4-2 record and finished in the Associated Press top ten twice.  In 1947, he became the head coach at Boston University where he stayed until 1956 and had a 46-34-4 record.  His next stop was Columbia University, earning the Lions their only Ivy League championship in 1961.**

It was during his tenure at Duquesne, though, that he first dipped his toe in the NFL coaching pool.  In 1941, Pittsburgh Steelers co-owner Bert Bell resigned as head coach after the Steelers lost its first two games.  Donelli was asked to replace Bell, and was allowed to continue coaching the Dukes, who were on their way to a perfect season.  He would coach the Steelers in the mornings (while classes were going on) then commute to school to coach in the afternoons.  After five games, the NFL made him choose between the two teams, and Donelli chose Duquesne.  It was probably for the best—the Steelers lost all five games under his stewardship.  This juggling act earned Aldo the distinction of being the only man to coach a college and NFL team at the same time—not a feat likely to be repeated.  Aldo would experiment with the pro game one more time, coaching the Cleveland Rams to a 4-6 record in 1944.

*Super Bowl XXV is also remembered for Whitney Houston’s inspiring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.  Click here to see a video of that performance.

**The hole in Donelli’s coaching resume was caused by World War II; he was drafted into the Navy in 1944.

Recipe Time Out: Meat Pie, Modified

Way back, I posted a recipe that was a favorite of my dad’s:  Meat Pie.  I offered two different ways to make it and suggested two different cheeses.  I’m reposting the recipe today because I have made some adjustments to the original ingredients:  I’ve settled on a favorite way to make it; decided on a preferred cheese; and added an ingredient—caramelized onions—with an extra step in the preparation to go along with it.  Although I don’t think there was anything wrong with the original, I think you’ll agree that this version is a step forward.

Ingredients

½ yellow onion

½ Tbsp. butter

½ Tbsp. olive oil

Salt

Sugar

1 lb. ground beef

8 oz. blue cheese

One package (8 count) Pillsbury® Crescent Rolls

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 375°.

Slice the half of an onion into thin slices.  Melt butter and olive oil in a nice wide skillet and add the onions.  Sauté for 6 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt and sauté another 4 minutes.  Sprinkle with a small amount of sugar (maybe ¼ teaspoon) and continue to sauté until onions are browned.  Remove onions from skillet and set aside.

While the onions are cooking, lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan.  Unroll the Crescent Rolls and divide them in half.  Do not form them into the Crescents.  Spread half of the dough to cover the bottom of the pan, and halfway up the sides.   

Brown the ground beef until no longer pink and drain.  Add the onions and blue cheese and mix.  Pour the mixture into the pie pan.

Spread the remainder of the Crescent dough on top, making sure it meets the bottom layer of dough at the sides of the pan.

Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until dough is cooked (inserted toothpick comes out clean and top is golden brown).

Slice and serve.  Enjoy!

Football History 101: The AFL and "Broadway" Joe Namath

Our last history lesson ended with “The Game”—the NFL Championship between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants that set football on a path to becoming the most popular sport in America.  For football, it was clearly time to buy, and two millionaires, Lamar Hunt and Bud Adams, wanted in—bad.   In 1959, the year after The Game, both submitted applications with the NFL to start their own franchises.  The league, happy with the status quo and their twelve teams, denied their petitions.

Lamar Hunt (left): the AFC Championship Trophy bears his name

The helmet for the Texans

Undeterred, Hunt and Adams convened a summit with several other investors and the American Football League (AFL) was established.  The AFL debuted in 1960 with eight teams:  Boston Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Titans, Dallas Texans, Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and Houston Oilers.

As in other industries, new entrants to the marketplace need to find ways to distinguish themselves from the businesses that are already established.  The AFL aimed to set itself apart by (1) making the game more fan-friendly compared to the NFL, and (2) emphasizing the passing game to generate more excitement.  For fan appeal, the AFL enacted the following policies:  adding players’ names to the backs of uniforms; making the scoreboard clock the official game clock; and adding the two-point conversion as an alternative to the kicked extra point.  Of course, we all know that the NFL eventually adopted all of these changes, though some sooner than others.

So, how did the new league try to become more pass-heavy?  As we have learned, the NFL had long embraced the passing game, which opened up offenses and encouraged use of the entire playing field.  However, passes were still being thrown by running backs as well as quarterbacks in the NFL, and NFL teams didn’t yet realize the importance of using the offensive line to protect the passer.  A byproduct of this world view was that NFL teams didn’t keep multiple QBs on the roster, nor were they interested in helping backup QBs, many of whom were very talented, develop their skills and realize their potential. 

In its early days, the AFL did not wish to employ an aggressive personnel strategy that involved stealing away the NFL’s talent.  However, realizing that the NFL was wasting a valuable resource by cutting second- or third-string quarterbacks who hadn’t yet realized their potential, the AFL owners put these players in their recruiting cross hairs.  They didn’t just pick up the NFL’s rejects (including future Hall of Famer George Blanda, Jack Kemp and Frank Tripucka), though; within a couple of years, they were able to steal away college stars that were the top draft choices of NFL teams.    

George Blanda left the Bears when Halas would only use him as a kicker

 

The biggest feather in the AFL’s cap would be the drafting of University of Alabama star Joe Namath by the New York Jets in 1965.  The signing of Namath would become the watershed moment for the AFL.  Although many of the teams in the league had enough financial backing to withstand a few years of instability and low attendance, the years between 1960 and 1964 weren’t exactly easy for the upstart league.  There were two relocations—the Chargers moved from L.A. to San Diego and the Texans moved from Dallas to Kansas City, where they became the Chiefs; the New York Titans had to be sold and were renamed the Jets; and the ninth planned AFL team—the Minnesota Vikings—defected to the NFL before ever taking the field in the AFL.

So, as you can see, Joe Namath’s decision to play in the AFL couldn’t have come at a better time.  This attractive, charismatic and talented quarterback became the new league’s golden boy and his presence in the nation’s biggest football market (New York City) meant that the AFL had truly arrived.  The timing was also auspicious because one year earlier, the AFL had signed a $36 million television contract with NBC, which gave the league the cash infusion it needed to woo players like Namath away from the NFL.  Plus, Namath’s good looks and cheeky confidence made him ideally suited for the television spotlight.

Back when fur was in fashion, Namath started a trend of players wearing them on the sidelines

Al Davis (right) as AFL Commish

The signing of Namath, which came at a cost of over $400,000, set off a bidding war between the two leagues for the country’s top college stars.  You might even say that the recruiting gloves came off.  When Oakland Raiders owner and general manager Al Davis became the AFL Commissioner in 1966, he began to poach players that were already on NFL rosters—particularly quarterbacks.  Even though the new league hadn’t been shy about luring college players away from the NFL, this marked a radical departure from the mostly hands-off approach it had taken to NFL rosters to that point.  Soon, some NFL owners approached Lamar Hunt in secret to discuss merging the two leagues.  Turns out Hunt was open to the idea; the poaching of players and spiraling salaries being awarded to college talent was taking its toll on both leagues.

On June 8, 1966, the two sides announced the planned merger of the AFL and NFL.  For a payment of $2 million each, the teams of the AFL would join the NFL starting in the 1970 season.  In the interim, a game would be played each winter between the AFL and NFL champions—a contest that would be known as the “Super Bowl.”  In protest to his league’s decision, Al Davis resigned as AFL Commissioner.

Though there was much excitement over the impending merger, there was also apprehension on the part of NFL teams, fueled by the perception that the AFL was an inferior league.  Unfortunately, this perception was not corrected by the AFL’s first two Super Bowl appearances.  The NFL was represented in both of those contests by the Green Bay Packers, the dominant NFL team of the 1960s.  They were stacked with talent at all positions and coached by the indomitable Vince Lombardi (above), widely considered to be the greatest football coach of all time.  Under Lombardi, the Packers went to the NFL Championship Game six times, winning five.  The Super Bowl Trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 1970.

The unfortunate teams from the AFL to be pitted against the mighty Packers in the first two Super Bowls were the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders.  Kansas City lost Super Bowl I 35-10; the Raiders lost Super Bowl II 33-14, and NFL owners started to get nervous.

Time for “Broadway” Joe Namath to come to the AFL’s rescue once again.  Under Namath’s cocky leadership and howitzer for an arm, the New York Jets soared through an 11-3 season and won the AFL Championship by beating the Oakland Raiders in a close game, 27-23.  The Jets were set to meet the already-legendary Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.  The Colts had only lost one game in the 1968 season and shut out the Cleveland Browns in the NFL title game, 34-0.

The Colts were heavily favored to win Super Bowl III, and the Jets were 19-point underdogs.  Frustrated by the attitude of fans and media that the outcome was predetermined, and provoked by a fan at a public appearance, Namath made a statement guaranteeing that the Jets would win three days before the game—something you are never, ever, supposed to do in sports (the last thing you want is to give your opponent further motive to humiliate you).  Luckily, Namath’s teammates backed him up when the two teams met on the field.  The Jets defense, which allowed the most rushing yards in the AFL that season, kept the potent Colts offense from scoring in the first three quarters of the game. 

The Jets, however, scored sixteen points, off a four-yard touchdown run and three field goals.  The Colts didn’t score until late in the fourth quarter:  a one-yard touchdown run with only 3:19 left in the game.  They recovered the onside kick but couldn’t capitalize, and when the Jets had to punt after their next possession, only eight seconds remained.  Time eventually ran out and Joe Namath and the Jets pulled off the greatest upset of all time.

The iconic photo of Namath after the game

Namath continued to play for the Jets until 1977, when he was released by the team.  He joined the (then) Los Angeles Rams, and played one season for them before retiring; he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Of course, Broadway Joe couldn’t stay out of the spotlight for long; even during his playing days he made appearances in television shows and ads, like this one for Noxema with a then-unknown Farah Fawcett:

"Hoo!"


Much, much later, in 1997, he was a pitchman for Nike, doing a two-part series of ads called “The Comeback” (keep in mind that, at the time, the Jets the (now) Indianapolis Colts were very different teams; in fact, the Jets had a 1-15 record in 1996, while the Colts had a 3-13 finish in 1997):

This wraps up Naptime Huddle’s “Football History 101” series for this offseason.  I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about professional football’s beginnings and how the NFL came to be the force it is today.